


Recognition

by goodmorningbob



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: 'Rivals' to Friends to Lovers, :D, Akko is so cute and for what, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Diana needs to relax, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Not sure if this counts as a slow burn?, Pre-Relationship, Realizing Feelings, not beta read we die like diana's self control around akko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:40:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28936428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodmorningbob/pseuds/goodmorningbob
Summary: Diana Cavendish always had a plan. Someone of her stature cannot afford to be anything less than prepared. The new school year is starting, and she already has two goals in mind: excelling in her classes and preparing to lead the legacy of her family name. No less, no more. She has it all figured out.Until a new student, one that will not shut up about Shiny Chariot, barges into her life and rips her plan to shreds. What does she do now?Or....An inside view of Diana's mind throughout the show. This will mostly follow canon events, but some storylines will run between episodes. (This is my first time writing a multi-chapter fic. I have been non-stop thinking about it... so it must be done)
Relationships: Diana Cavendish & Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 20
Kudos: 69





	1. Prologue: First sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Welcome to whatever this story will end up being...  
> I have been on lwa brainrot for a very, very, very long time, so I decided to write this fic!! I am not sure if this has been done, but it will be from my perception of where the show went/should have gone.  
> This is my first fic in this fandom, so I hope you guys stick around...
> 
> Now to move on from all of my thoughts, I have planned out a basic outline for where this story is going to go. I don't have a set chapter amount as of right now, but once I do, I will make sure to update it. Also, I tried revising grammar issues/formatting issues, so if you catch any mistakes... pretend you didn't.
> 
> Enjoy!!

Chatter filled the air as students wandered the hallways. The summer break had finally ended, and the Luna Nova students were returning slowly throughout the day. Orientation was later that same evening, so the students who arrived earlier were unpacking their belongings in their respective dorm rooms. It was getting closer to orientation time, and the sun streamed softly through the tall windows of the Luna Nova hallways as it began its slow descent behind the horizon.

Diana sat against a small bench, not far from the doors to the orientation ceremony. The ceremony did not start for a few hours, but she thought she would stay nearby. After all, being punctual is one of the things she prides herself in. The orientation ceremony was known to be relatively quick, and she knew she could go back to her room and start preparing for the year relatively soon. The break had been calm for Diana, and even though it was a break, she did not do much other than practice her magic and prepare for this school year. She knew her friends were busy hanging out with their other people, and although they would have been happy to have her there, she knew she was not the most exciting to hang out with.

It did not bother her, however, and instead she focused her efforts into her studies. One day, she would become the head of the Cavendish family. It was only fit for her to start preparing now.

She was reading a newly released pamphlet on magic. The older texts and books were much more informative, at least she thought so, but she thought she might as well read something while waiting.  
It was the only thing she could carry with her anyways, since arriving to the school early gave her time to unpack her belongings in her room. Might as well stay productive with something while she waits.

  
She lifted her eyes from the text and focused her attention to a group of students walking past. As the students waited for orientation, groups of friends were catching back up. It had been quite a while since the students had been together at the school. Diana was waiting for her blue teammates, Hannah and Barbara, as they had planned to meet her here as soon as they arrived. She had known the two of them ever since she came to Luna Nova. Although she originally assumed they hung out with her because of her status, it seemed that some days they did actually care for her. It was nice, having people that she could rely on. Not that she needed to.

Three girls rounded the corner. Speak of the devils-

  
“I can’t believe she can’t ride a broom!” Hannah smirked at Barbara and Avery.

  
“I know! Like, who does she think she is!”

  
Diana made eye contact with the girls.

  
_I wonder if they are talking about the new student._

  
She had overheard some of the staff discussing said student. Apparently, she came to Luna Nova from across the ocean as a result from the school needing funds. Rumors spread that she did not come from any sort of witch family. How did Luna Nova allow her to attend? Diana thought for a moment, but decided it was not worth anymore of her time. It was not like she would be involved with her, anyways.

  
“Hello, girls.” Diana closed her pamphlet and stood up. Hannah and Barbara moved closer to her. Avery trailed behind.

  
“Hey Diana!” The girls repeated back. Diana smiled briefly.

  
“It’s good to see you two again.” She quickly moved her eyes to Avery. “Hello, Avery.”

  
Avery looked from Hannah and Barbara towards her. “Hey Diana.”

  
There was a beat of silence between the girls. Diana and Avery were not exactly close friends, but neither were they enemies. She knew that Hannah and Barbara liked her, so she was tolerated. Avery cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

  
“I’m going to go find my group members. I’ll catch you guys later?” Hannah and Barbara turned around.

  
“Sure, Avery!” “We’ll see you later!”

  
Avery took a step back, nodding at Diana, and then walked away from the group. Diana watched her turn the corner and then focused her attention back to her two teammates.

  
“How was your break, girls?” Diana asked as she moved to resume her previous position on the bench. She moved the pamphlet into her lap, but left it shut so she could converse with her teammates. Hannah and Barbara dropped their stuff on the floor near the bench and sat on the free space of the bench.

  
“It was good! I had plenty of time to relax and hang out with my family. And we got to see Avery and her teammates too.” Hannah looked towards Diana. She gave a small smile. Barbara started up.

  
“Same here, but Diana, we missed you!” Diana let a small smile break out on her face before returning to her neutral face. “I missed both of you as well.”

  
“You should have come and spent some time with us! We know you don’t like Avery that much, and we know you don’t like to hang out often, but we still enjoy seeing you.”

  
“I do not despise Avery, or hanging out with you-“

  
“Diana-“

  
“And you girls know that I have a lot of duties to prepare for this year.” Diana spoke slowly.

  
“We know. I’m sorry.” Barbara looked away.

  
“Please do not take it personally. I have just been quite busy lately. However, we have all year to spend some time together.” Diana looked seriously at both of them. She knows she does not show her appreciation often, it is something that she had to sacrifice to remain a top-level student for Luna Nova, but she knows Hannah and Barbara do not mind.

If anything, there relationship is better this way. She prefers to keep her friends at a distance like this. She was capable of spending time by herself, and Hannah and Barbara had other friends that they enjoyed hanging out with. But although Diana had other priorities above friendship, but she was still thankful that her friends wanted to be dedicated to her.

  
“It’s alright Diana. We know you are always crazy busy working on your family and helping the school.”

  
She was glad they understood. They never pushed her too much, especially about situations like this. Hannah’s eyes suddenly lit up.

  
“Oh!” Diana and Barbara turned to look at her. “Did you hear about the new student this year?”

  
Barbara laughed at Hannah. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot about her!”

  
“Have you heard about her, Diana?”

  
Diana did know about her, at least a little bit. The whispers in the halls were not as quiet as probably intended. She just chose to ignore them. Gossip was something she did not have time for, nor the effort to indulge herself in it anyways. Hannah and Barbara took the silence as a no.

  
“Apparently she comes from a faraway country. She thinks she can come all the way here, and not even from a witch family!”

  
“We met her on the way into the Leyline. She’s just as much of a looser as we heard, not even able to ride a broom!” Both girls started laughing.

  
_The school must be deeply struggling with finances to let someone in that does not even know basic magic._

  
Suddenly, a muffled sound spread through the hallways.

  
“Attention all Luna Nova students!” The overhead speaker.

  
“Orientation is beginning in one hour. The doors will be opening to allow you to take your seats for attendance!”

  
Diana shifted her feet, slightly bumping into something. The luggage. Once the headmistress was done speaking, Diana cleared her throat and faced her roommates.

  
“Girls, don’t you think it would be best to put your belongings into our room?” Hannah and Barbara nodded.

  
“Good idea! Meet you in our orientation seats?” Barbara asked as she stood up to grab her luggage. Hannah did the same.

  
“Of course. See you then.”

  
“See you!” The girls walked away from where Diana was seated, continuing to chat. Right as they turned the corner, Diana overheard one last thing-

  
“She doesn’t even know how to ride a broom!”

  
_Strange. As long as she respects the tradition of this school, she will be of no bother to me._

  
Diana stood and dusted off her skit. She tucked the pamphlet into her pocket and headed for the orientation doors.

* * *

“Welcome back everyone! I hope you’ve all had a good holiday. Luna Nova has nurtured many girls to become great witches over the years.”

  
Diana had heard this message, that great witches come from this school, many times. It was why she chose to attend Luna Nova. It was why she studied extremely hard. It was what she was on her way to becoming. Her classmates, and her teammates sitting next to her, were also on a similar path. But they did not call Diana the pride of Luna Nova for no reason.

  
“Within these walls you must devote yourself to the study of magic with great determination but remember to stay humble and be respectful. Now that that has been said, let us begin the Cerem-”

  
A strange noise filled the room, silencing every person in sight. Diana felt a small sensation, one she could not currently name, suddenly pulse around the room.

  
_Magic?_

  
Diana perfected her magic skills on a daily, always studying and practicing whenever she was free from duties to the school or her home. Her own magical ability, as tamed and tuned in as it was, could easily sense other forms of magic. Her magic quickly picked up on the movement of some sort of magic spreading around the room. Before she could dwell on it for long, there was a shift in the energy. Diana looked around to find what had changed.

  
A thin and faint blue line materialized and began to travel over the painted lines of the auditorium floor. The humming sound grew louder. Before anyone had time to react, a blinding ball of energy burst in the center of the drawn circle, sprouting its light rays in every corner of the room.

  
Diana turned slightly to the side and lifted her arms over her face. She was trying to see what was going on, an almost unnoticeable amount of fear seeping into her body. She hated not knowing what was going on, and she was certainly not used to the feeling from her position at the school. She felt Hannah and Barbara move to match her actions.

  
She opened her eyes slightly and noticed the ball of blue energy morph into shapes before glowing brighter. It slowly stretched into a long beam that touched both the floor and the ceiling of the room.  
Looking towards the professors lined in the front of the room, Diana noticed they did not seem worried. More… confused? Diana could tell, even at a distance, that the professors did not view this as a threat.

  
So then, what is this?

  
At first, there was nothing to make out in the beam. It was just a blinding light that Diana could only describe as pure magical energy. It was something she had never felt before.

  
_What is this, strange feeling?_

  
It almost felt… warm. It flowed through the room, hugging her soul in a way that could not be described as other than that.

  
Warm.

  
The feeling was so mesmerizing, one that she could not help but become engulfed in, that she almost missed what was going on. She heard some gasps from her surrounding classmates, shaking her out of her trance and prompting her to look up higher. She squinted and noticed three shaded figures form inside of the beam.

  
As quickly as the beam came, it disappeared. The chatter of students grew slightly as they were able to look at what caused this strange interference.  
Three girls, presumably students of Luna Nova, landed on the floor with a thud. The chatter quickly ceased, and everyone stared at the girls. Even the staff just stared on.

  
_What in the-_

  
“Alright!” The girl in the middle of the group, very obviously not wearing anything related to Luna Nova’s uniform, jumped up as fast as they had appeared. The students continued to stare. Diana could not even process a single thought.

  
“I made it in time!” The girl shouted, before beginning to laugh and spin around. Her friends awkwardly stood up, at least having the decency to look embarrassed.

  
Who does this girl think she is?

  
Still, no one had made a sound. Diana had half a mind to stand up and reprimand the girls, but it was not her place. At least, not now. But besides being late, they had the audacity to interrupt the ceremony? Diana felt a pile of annoyance build up, but she made no move. She was still slightly shocked, similar to the other students surrounding her.

  
A small shuffling was heard from the staff section. The Headmistress cleared her throat and leaned into the microphone. “Excuse me girls?”

  
The two outside girls looked up and bowed at the headmistress. The middle girl stopped laughing and decided to smile and wave at her.

  
“Could you please find seats until the end of the ceremony? We can discuss… whatever just transpired after I have finished.”

The girl with short, orange hair feverishly nodded. “Y-Yes! Sorry, ma’am.”

She made a break for some seats left empty towards the back. The pink haired girl followed along after picking up her stuff. The third, and quite loud girl, resumed laughing and spinning all the way to her seat, apparently oblivious to all of the judgmental stares.

  
Diana focused on her for a moment. She did not recognize her.

  
Is this-

  
_The new girl?_

The Headmistress resumed her speech as though nothing had happened. Diana tried to refocus her attention to the ceremony, but she found her brain trailing back to what just happened.

If the new girl came from a non-witch family from across the globe, just to cause trouble right in the beginning of school, Diana would remain to have nothing to do with her. But why did she feel so…

…so…

warm?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of a way for me to set up the story. It will be the worst/shortest chapter because I just needed to publish it so I can get serious about writing this.
> 
> I don't have a set posting schedule yet, but I'm going to do as much as I can over the next week
> 
> Thanks for reading :D


	2. Sleepless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooo  
> I didn't expect to be updating so soon, but I am trying to write as much as I can before I get busy again.
> 
> I have estimated on a chapter amount. It should end up being around 40. 40 is the minimum amount I need to tell the story, but my goal is to be more creative and add some stuff I think should have been shown. There were so many good opportunities that the show could've taken... but I guess that's what fanfic is for.
> 
> Once again, I tried my best to check for grammar/formatting issues.
> 
> This chapter takes place after the orientation and before the Papiliodia incident. 
> 
> Anyways, here's chapter 2 :)

The sun had officially set, leading to the first night back at Luna Nova. Diana could hear the shuffling of feet outside the dorm as students were returning to their respective rooms. Curfew was almost upon them, one that was strictly enforced, and the students were preparing for the day ahead of them.

  
Tomorrow was a big day, one that would set the tone for the rest of this school year. Diana was excited to start again, even though she was already extremely prepared for all of her advanced classes. Something about the traditions learned in the school gave her a sense of peace. 

Diana shifted in her bed. The blankets were pulled up high enough only to show the top half of her body. She lay on her back, looking straight up at the ceiling. Her mother once told her about the importance of good sleeping posture, and it was stuck with her ever since. She had always slept this way. But tonight, even in her routine position, she felt so uncomfortable.

She knew she should have been sleeping already. On a normal school night, she would have opted to read a book or study material for class if she wasn’t feeling tired quite yet. There is no shame in being extra prepared, especially for a new class or concept. However, there wasn’t much else to prepare for. It was the first day of classes tomorrow, and Diana deducted that it would be better to get more sleep and have the ability to be more attentive tomorrow during class. As much as she loved school, sleep was just as important. At least, her mom told her so. 

She should have been easily able to fall asleep. Her feet pulsed with aching sensations from traveling all day, and she was exhausted from unpacking her belongings and simultaneously attending orientation. There was no reason to have any energy left to still be thinking. There wasn’t any reason to be awake at all. She knew it was ridiculous.

But…

The new student. 

Why couldn’t she stay out of her mind? 

Diana knew she, along with her teammates, had caused endless trouble in the meeting. There was no acceptable reason for one, appearing late, and two, causing an enormous interruption. She had no tolerance for people who could not respect the rules. 

Last night, after the end of orientation, Diana, followed by her own laughing teammates, passed them in the hallway on the way out as they were getting a scolding by professor Finnelan and headmistress Holbrooke. 

Her two teammates at least had the decency to apologize afterward. The brown haired girl did not seem to have an ounce of regret in her eyes. It made Diana scoff and hurriedly walk away. They were extremely lucky they didn’t get expelled right then and there. But for some reason, Diana couldn’t seem to stay upset. This was new.

  
She closed her eyes, and could feel the magic running wildly through the room. It gave her such a strange comfort, she could not help but want more. Her mind still couldn’t wrap around the possibility that such magic even existed.

Magic was used for a given reason. It aided witches in performing certain duties during their lives, and it had been used like this for centuries beforehand. It was not originally intended for pleasure or entertainment. It was used for calculated tasks. 

  
So why did this magic feel so different?

She couldn’t imagine this specific magic being used in any other way. Though, the real question that Diana could not get out of her head…

_Who casted it?_

  
Magic was specific to each user, and it was up to them to tame and learn to use it. That was how it was taught in the traditional books and scrolls. And it was how Diana, along with most of Luna Nova, viewed it as well. So how could someone’s magic be so powerfully out of control, yet evoke such a calm and gentle feeling?

After thinking tirelessly, she decided that the magic used to transport the three girls did not belong to the new student. She was the foreign student, the one with no known magical ability, so there was no way it could have been hers… right? Or maybe, it was hers after all.

_You have got to be kidding me._

Diana groaned quietly into her pillow, just loud enough to not alert her already sleeping teammates. Her thoughts were rolling around in circles, reaching no particular conclusion. One thing she hated was not having an answer. Even in education, there was always a way to find and learn the correct one. She could ask a professor or look it up in texts, if she did not already know. This situation did not have a clear answer. Unless she physically went and asked the girl, but for one, it was almost curfew. 

Or maybe it had passed curfew already. Diana had no idea how long she had spent thinking.

And two, she really did not want to interact with the girl at all. Unless she causes more disturbances in the future, Diana would keep her attention away.

Diana turned her head over, facing her nightstand. She squinted through the dark, looking at her clock. 

11:30 p.m.

Diana grunted in frustration. She had been thinking for that long? Curfew starting at 10, so that means she was thinking for…

_This is unfortunate._

She really needed to go to bed, and she couldn’t help but resent the girls and their trouble. She rolled slightly to the side, trying to find a new position that would at least give her some comfort. The blankets fell gently as she moved, the cold air circulating the room causing a chill to go up her spine. She quickly reached down and pulled them back up over her shoulders.

If she did not go to sleep now, she would have to deal with the consequences tomorrow morning. That was something she did not have patience for. She had better things to focus on. Her reputation did not keep itself up.

The new position did wonders, and Diana could feel her back relaxing into the curve of her mattress. She took a few deep breaths, trying to signal her body to slow. Her mind began to feel fuzzy, the thoughts that flowed began to trickle out. 

_Finally._

In her relaxed state, she couldn’t help but imagine the gentle feeling of the magic swirling against her skin. She imagined it spreading throughout her being and wrapping her in a flitting hug. She imagined it having never left her, bringing light to the cold tendrils that lived inside her body.

The last thing she thought of before succumbing to sleep…

_Warm_

  
  


* * *

  
  


Diana wouldn’t admit it, but her sleep last night was one of the best she’d had in a long time. Even after it took her hours to relax enough to actually sleep. She felt surprisingly well rested, and she was ready for the day of classes. 

She was already in her first class, magic linguistics, with professor Finnelan. Not much was going on, but Diana still took detailed notes. It was only the first day, and the information covered was just the basics. However, Diana came prepared from her tedious amounts of studying over break, and she would leave just as prepared. 

She could hear a groan from behind her. The new student and her teammates sat in the row behind the blue team. She felt the pile of annoyance from yesterday grow slightly. If this student had her intentions set on coming all this way to such a prestigious school, she should at least have the decency to not complain. 

Diana never understood people like that. Earlier this morning, when her and her teammates were already seated in the classroom, the red team came running in. The new girl seemed so full of energy and excitement, bordering on disruptive. What had changed?

_Perhaps she realized that being a witch is more serious that she first assumed._

Diana usually refrained from judging people, especially when she did not know them, but the fact that this new student was disrespecting Luna Novas traditions got on her nerves.

“These Luna runes make up the ancient character system used by witches long ago.”

The professor’s words put her thinking to a halt. She snapped her attention to the board. She really needed to refocus her brain to what mattered.

“They are a type of segmental script. Is there anyone in the class who can read the letters on the board?”

Diana waited a beat. She knew the answer, but decided to give anyone else a chance. Lucky for her, no one seemed to move an inch. She raised her hand.

“Proceed Ms. Cavendish.”

She gracefully stood to recount her answer.

“Bless the one who lets the stone remain untouched. Woe betide the one who moves it.”

As she sat back down, she heard the gasps from both the teacher and students. She was never one to pride herself, but answering right did give her some form of satisfaction. It was just a way to prove her studies were worth it. However. this was just her duty as a top student. To always be prepared.

“That’s perfect, Ms. Cavendish. In all my years as a teacher, you’re the first student to decipher this.”

Diana nodded respectfully and refocused on her notes again.

“I knew you could do it Diana!” Barbara looked proudly at her. Diana felt Hannah looking as well. Although she was thankful for her friends, these comments of praise always felt empty. It seemed like other people were more proud of her accomplishments than she was of herself. She never complained, however, and took it with a straight face. 

After all, it was just her duty as a student. She heard another yawn from the red team above.

_Ugh._

* * *

  
  
  


There were only a few more classes left before lunch. Diana was able to excel in every one with ease. She had been able to answer all questions asked and was able to take detailed notes.

The start of the year is important, if not more important, than the rest of the year. 

All throughout the day, although she remained attentive and focused, she couldn’t help but feel the new girl's presence.

She was so very loud wherever she went, and she was constantly whispering to her teammates about the most obscure things, things that were not appropriate for the setting.

The girl seemed to have the attention span of a fly, as one moment she could hear the pencil scratching on paper taking notes, and the next Diana could hear the creaking of the girl’s chair as she constantly rolled in new positions. 

Did the girl even know had to sit still?

Diana tried her best to ignore it, and she was getting better at it as time went on. But still, if the girl kept up this behavior, she would surely fail her classes. It's not that Diana thought she should fail, as everyone should get a chance to become a witch if they are skilled enough, but the girl would need to put in some effort and stop being a distraction. 

_What was even driving her to want to be a witch?_

* * *

  
  
  


As luck would have it, she found the answer much sooner than she anticipated.

The sun had finally reached the middle of the sky, signaling the beginning of the lunch period. 

Most of the teams were already seated and eating their food. Diana and her teammates were arriving slightly behind, only because the previous professor wanted to praise Diana privately. Hannah and Barbara seemed to love the praise, but Diana said nothing.

Hannah and Barbara had just split off to greet Avery’s team and Diana was walking gracefully to her open table. She had just happened to overhear-

“It’s nothing like what I thought it would be.”

_Excuse me._

“How did Shiny Chariot even learn all her cool magic from a place like this?”

The nerve. Diana decided she would interfere, one time. Someone needed to set this girl back in her place. She spoke up as she approached the girl.

“Luna Nova frowns upon Shiny Chariots magic. She’s a disappointment.”

Diana watched her flip around. There was a little plant on her head, and it swayed with the girl’s head. Diana almost groaned with disappointment just from that.

“Miss Kagari. That’s your name, right? You’re the new student.” Diana already knew the answer, but she decided to remain formal in this situation. She watched the girl struggle to eat her food as she tried to answer. At least she had enough manners to chew first.

“Yea, that’s right. You can call me Akko.” Akko. Strange. The girl continued before Diana had the chance.

“I remember seeing you. You were outstanding in class!” Diana almost let her neutral face slip into a surprised one. The praise she gave almost felt… genuine. She didn’t know who she was? It was not like Diana went around bragging about her or her family, but the majority of people at least had heard of her family’s name. Strange.

Before Diana had a chance to respond, Hannah and Barbara had seemed to be at her side in an instant, almost sensing that there was some sort of drama.

Hannah spoke up. “You don’t know Diana? Have you just been living under a rock or something?”

Diana did not approve of her friends bragging about her. She at least had the common courtesy to remain polite until the person deserved some sort of demeaning talk. 

Barbara chimed in. “They say she’ll be the best witch in all of Luna Nova!”

The new girl- Akko- seemed to look mildly impressed. That was new. No crazy excitement or praise. Diana kept her mind straight. She only had one goal when starting this conversation. She was able to get a word in before her friends continued.

“Well, Akko, I’ll impart some friendly advice on you- Shiny Chariot is not respected by anyone, so stop thinking of her as a role model. Remember that.”

Diana almost walked away. Her goal was completed. But the girl-

“That’s not true at all!” The girl seemed to get angry. Diana almost recoiled. “People all over the world love her magic show!”

“I’ll admit, she was once very popular for a time, but her show was really just a cheap use of fake magic tricks. It was doomed to fail right when it began.”

The girl's face scrunched up significantly more. Diana continued.

“She has been missing for ten years, and it doesn’t seem like anyone really cares.” 

Diana was done explaining. She went to turn away with Hannah and Barbara. She heard the chair scrape on the floor as the girl stood up hastily.

“I care! Chariot gave me my dream.” Diana couldn’t help but turn back around. She was starting to get annoyed. “I have to find her, and give her back the Shiny Rod!”

The Shiny Rod?

She hadn’t heard that since her childhood. She couldn’t help but lift her eyebrows up. She could hear Hannah and Barbara gasp under their breath, surprised the girl had the audacity to talk back to her. Diana felt more intrigued by this girl. The actual Shiny Rod?

“The what?”

“Come on, I’ll show you!” Akko jumped up, shoving the rest of her food in her mouth, grabbing her teammates, and dragging everyone outside. Diana just stood there with her teammates, shocked. It was then that she felt the entire lunchroom looking on to what just happened.

_Might as well see what this girl is talking about._

* * *

  
  


They stood outside in the main courtyard. Students who were already outside turned their attention to the group. Even some kids from the lunchroom came out. Apparently, everyone wanted to see what the new girl-who-argued-with-Diana was talking about.

Akko pulled the Shiny Rod out and swung it forward with a small grunt. 

Diana was slightly surprised. It did look particularly real, but there was no way that something so powerful could end up in this girl's hands. She recomposed herself and started to inspect it. There was a lacking of the blue shine in each orb, as she had studied it to have. Really, this girl…

“It’s an obvious imitation.” 

Akko’s face scrunched up. “It's not a fake! It’s the real thing!”

Diana’s face morphed into something of annoyance. How stubborn was this girl? Diana just looked away. A waste of her time.

Barbara and Hannah decided to chime in. “Did you bring your prized toy just for show and tell.” “Did you spend your allowance on it?”

Akko actually answered, shutting the two girls up. “You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you!” 

Akko stomped angrily to the statue. 

  
_Is she actually about to try and use it?_

“Pay attention!” The entire courtyard looked on. Her teammates finally chimed in. “Stop it, Akko! Are you sure about this?”

“Yes I’m sure! Whether you believe me or not!”

Diana could hear her start to whisper to the Shiny Rod. Where was this going? The girl was really putting on such an act. DId she think this was funny?

Akko suddenly shouted. “Move! Stone statue!” She swung the rod. Diana almost slapped her hand over her face. 

_Really. That wasn’t even a spell._

Akko continued to yell over and over. Diana could hear the courtyard start to laugh. Diana felt no pity. The girl really thought she could do magic with a fake wand. The pile of annoyance from the past day exploded. 

Akko suddenly stopped trying. “I don’t get it! It worked yesterday!”

Diana chose to ignore that statement for the time being. She took out her wand and decided to finally put this girl in her place. It had gone on long enough. She casted a spell.

The stone statue began to move, just as Akko had tried to make it. It tripled and size and lurched over Akko. The girl stepped back before falling over her own foot as the statue swung its stone arm. The statue slowed its speed, just enough to grasp the ridiculous plant off of Akko's head. It slowly plucked the plant, leaving Akko terrified on the ground. Diana returned to its original shape just as fast as she had casted it out.

Akko didn’t move from her spot on the ground, but Diana had no pity. The courtyard gasped before giving praise to Diana.

"That was an advance stone moving spell! It came to life!" Barbara spoke excitedly. Hannah added. "She really is a miracle!"

She brought her hand up to stop it. It was not time for that. She was trying to make a point to one person and one person only. Akko’s teammates rushed over and tried talking to her, but she remained frozen with shock until Diana decided to speak one last time.

“Real magic is cultivated by a long tradition of ongoing, difficult studies. It’s not something a person who gets intrigued by a fad can ever hope to learn.” 

Barbara and Hannah decided to continue the pestering. “Diana is a Cavendish, a distinguished family with a long history of magic.” “It’s a far cry from a show magician like Chariot.” 

Diana was done. She had told the girl to stop. Hopefully, the girl would stay out of her mind and respect the traditions of Luna Nova. She swung her hair and walked away.

Hannah and Barbara shouted after her. “Wait, Diana!”

After the girls had caught up, she heard an intake of breath from the direction of where Akko was. She almost assumed someone as stubborn as her would start arguing again. But nothing came out.

Diana _almost_ pitied her. She did just embarrass herself in front of half the school. But that was brought on from all but herself.

As she walked away, she had a chance to think. Why did she even think it would work in the first place? Diana remembered her saying it had worked before. She almost believed there was some truth to that. Why else would she embarrass herself like that? And to add to that point, people don’t usually choose to argue with her, knowing she seems to be always right. Maybe there was more to the new girl than meets the eye. Or maybe she really was a stubborn child. 

It didn’t matter to Diana. At least not now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the story begins!!
> 
> This one was fun to write. Definitely less dialogue, but the point is to get into Diana's headspace some more. I think her motivations as a character are really interesting, and I wish we got to see more of that in the show. 
> 
> If you have anything random to say, or any ideas you might want in this story, make sure to comment! Also, I'm not sure how much fanfic I will be writing about LWA, but I also want to do some other fandoms (if u have any recs, let me know)
> 
> Thanks again for the support :) I'm aiming to release two more chapters before the end of this week.


	3. You're not...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! i'm back again with another update!!
> 
> I tried my best to look for grammar/formatting stuff. There are some parts of this chapter that I worked on in chunks, so sorry if it sounds chunky. 
> 
> Any information I get about, well, anything about the characters or how things work in the world, comes from either the anime where the info is made clear, or the wiki.
> 
> So if anything seems wrong, let me know in the comments?

The lunchroom was loud again, everyone seemingly had moved on from the incident just minutes ago. It was strange; a school as large as this still could have gossip moving through like it was only two students conversing.

Diana was never one for gossip, but she couldn’t help but notice the stares of her classmates as she ate her food. Hannah and Barbara seemed to be taking the attention as more to add to their popularity. As much as she appreciated her friends, she never understood why they enjoyed those kinds of activities.

The table they sat at was closer to the outer rim of the cafeteria. Diana often arrived late, as she conversed with professors after class or caught up on any extra duties assigned to her, so these tables were the only ones available. Some days, there was nothing available. Her teammates always told her that she could go and tell other students to move in order to sit closer to the middle. They said that anyone would be willing to give up their spot to _ the _ Diana Cavendish.

Diana would not listen; just because she was well known as a top student didn’t mean she could enforce her power on others. She remembers Hannah and Barbara quietly whining, but they did not question anything she said. Apparently she was perfect in their eyes, just like the rest of the school.

Diana heard a group of people walk through the nearby hallway.

“Headmistress!” Finnelan?

“Oh, hello Finnelan. Where are you and Ursula off to?”

It seemed it was just the three of them.

_ What are they doing so far on this side of campus during this time? _

“I’m taking Ursula to the Jennifer tree. She is supposed to have gathered information to cure it.” Diana could hear the glare in Finnelan’s voice.

“Y-yes! I have brought some information to share once we arrive!”

“Splendid! It’s too bad it’s in such rough shape. It’s so important to this school’s history.”

“Yes Headmistress Holbrooke, which is why we are in the process of fixing it. Right Ursula?”

Diana could only assume she nodded in response.

“Would you mind if I join you?”

And with that, the footsteps receded farther down the hall, directly in the path towards the tree.

_ The Jennifer Memorial Tree is dying? _

Diana finished with her lunch quickly, and informed the girls where she would be going for a few hours. The girls followed along. 

She was going to save the tree.

* * *

“Headmistress Holbrooke!”

The group of professors, consisting of the same professors that spoke earlier, stood around the tree. Finnelan, Ursula, and of course, the headmistress, turned to look at her. She emerged from the hallway, Hannah and Barbara close in tow. 

“I can’t believe the Jennifer Memorial Tree has weakened like this!” Diana's face morphed into concern once she actually analyzed the state of the tree. Hannah and Barbara caught up to her and took their places on her side. 

“Yes, Diana, it is rather upsetting. The tree is extremely old. It might just be getting close to the end of its life.”

Diana didn’t respond right away. After hearing about it at lunch, she researched through some books and refreshed her knowledge. She knew this type of tree doesn’t just wither like this. It has a remarkably high magic energy level, one that would prevent it from a normal death. 

Something else must be wrong.

Diana looked up at the tree, standing tall before her. It withered over and its branches hung low. The professors left the room, so quietly that Diana almost didn’t even notice. Once she heard their footsteps become faint, she spoke up.

“The Jennifer Memorial Tree.” Hannah and Barbara looked towards her. “This tree is said to have inherited the spirit of the great witch Jennifer.” 

The history of Luna Nova was extremely important to Diana, not just because of the school's deep tradition, but also because she genuinely enjoyed investing her time into looking after the school. She looked up with determination at the tree.

“It's a sacred artifact of Luna Nova.” No one spoke for a moment.

“Do you think we can help?” Hannah asked as she looked up at the tree.

Diana had been prepared to do such that. After hearing about the issue at lunch, she researched and gathered some potentially useful supplies.

Her previous research, taking place over multiple years, had taught her a way to invest magical energy into an object lacking such. A revival spell. 

She took Hannah and Barbara with her to grab some supplies. There were stones that were able to store and release magic to aid in revitalizing every part of a large object, and in this case, the entire memorial tree. She was able to locate just enough for this spell. 

All she needed to do was go to the magical storage room to collect them.

  
  


* * *

“I’ve finished this side.” Barbara peaked over the side of the tree. Diana searched over Barbara’s side, and then moved onto Hannah’s. The girl wasn’t done placing the stones yet. 

“I’m going to try revitalization magic.” She leaned up to look at the stem of the tree; it held itself big and proud, yet it looked so frail where it stood. Her eyes followed each individual vine that defined the curves of the trunk. Her sight trailed down to the circles of stones surrounding the tree. She was determined to save this tree, and given her resources, she had the capability to do so.

_ It’s nearly perfect. _

Diana noticed her friend’s confused looks, and it took her a moment to realize what they did not understand. She forgets that her knowledge about magical abilities far exceeded the level this school was at. 

“The spell will give the tree powerful nutrients that will grant it new life. It originated in my family, and has been passed down ever since,” She explained.

The stones were almost all set in place, and with that Diana waved her hands as to call over her teammates. They quickly stood up, Hannah falling behind after adjusting one last rock.

“Louperial Ral!”

The voice she used leaked nothing other than determination. She swung her hands in a designed circle, one she had studied for this very moment, letting the magic flow into her wand. It spiraled around the tree, landing in each of the stones placed.

The circle of stones they had created absorbed every drop of energy released from her wand, and the magic expanded into the ground, quickly absorbed by the roots. The tree’s drooped branches sprung up just as quickly as they had declined, sprouting new leaves in every corner. Even the bark took on a much healthier color as time passed.

She heard the two girls gasp in admiration, and she let out a small smile.

  
_ It worked. _

“The nutrients must have soaked in.” She affirmed both her teammates, and herself. Diana never prided in her own abilities, but she was reassured that she was capable of doing these types of powerful spells. 

“You’re so amazing!” “C'mon, lets go tell the professors!”

Diana listened to them run off, their feet making small but accelerated steps in the ground. She really didn’t care about the recognition, as she just wanted to save the tree. It was good that they were going to tell the professors, though, because they would not need to worry about it any longer. She took a slow breath, listened to the footsteps recede. 

Barely a second after Diana no longer heard them, she felt a faint vibration coming from the floor.

“Hm?”

She opened her eyes and tilted to look at the ground; the vibration seemed to be coming from the segway between two of the closest roots.

Suddenly, a small glowing bud just barely pushed through the surface layer of dirt and grass, showing only a small part of it’s top. 

_ What is this? _

More small buds began to emerge in all directions. Before she even had time to rack her brain on what those were, huge branches burst from the ground. They wrapped around the newly healed tree, draining the life out that Diana had just worked so hard to put back.

She took a step back. What is happening?

“Wait, what’s going on?”

She heard a shout, followed by footsteps snap loudly through the corridor. She couldn’t focus on anything else that was going on; branches were snapping up everywhere. The footsteps subsided, but only because the people responsible were being stopped by more vines. 

_ They can’t come any closer! _

“Stay back!” She flung her hand up quickly to give a warning to whomever, most likely Hannah and Barbara, was in the room with her. 

“Diana, what's going on?”

Of course. The new girl.

“Do you know why this is happening?”

Before she could even come up with a coherent reply, the girl's orange haired friend spoke up.

“Akko!”

  
Diana, finally refocusing her mind, snapped up to see what they were shouting about now. Strange bulbs covered in long and bulky looking spikes emerged from the ground, attached by roots that dug into the tree’s branches.

She looked around as more bursting noises echoed in the room. More were continuing to emerge. 

“What are these things?” 

She heard Akko shift around, getting closer to her spot in the middle of the room. Diana wished she knew the answer. But with the amount and shape of these bulbs… they almost looked like…

“There were parasites in the roots. That has to be why the tree got sick.”

_ That is the only plausible reason behind this! _

She watched as the pupae began to grow, absorbing all the magic that flowed within the branches. Her eyes widened in shock.

“All my spell did was give nutrients to these vermin instead of the tree! We need to exterminate them!”

Without waiting for any response, she grabbed her wand as fast as possible and began to aim and fire at them, precisely as always. 

“Murowa!”

The hit pupae turned black and looked like they released the energy they held.

_ Good. _

She continued to fire, hitting the ones closest to Akko and her group first. Better to keep the other students safe first.

“Murow-”

The girl jumped right in front of where she was aiming. 

_ Excuse me? _

“Wait, Diana!”

Diana flinched back. Why was Akko stopping her now? Her of all people should know that Diana was most likely right about this, especially after the lunch incident earlier.

“They might not be vermin.” 

“You’re in the way! Move!”

Her frustration grew.

“I’m not moving!”

She did not have time for this. This girl was stubborn and undignified. How could she ever understand what Diana chose to do? Her patience almost evaporated, and she decided to continue firing as fast as she could.

She turned to the side and prepared another spell.

“Murowa!”

The spell released. Diana had to keep going, to fix her mistake. What was I thinking? She was always better about thinking rationally, always being right. She was waiting until the pupae turned black before moving to fire another one, but before the spell had even reached the bran-

“Ahh!”

Diana froze. 

She could not think.

She didn’t hit the vermin.

She hit… Akko.

Diana watched as the girl stumbled over from the strike, and fell to the ground.

Diana had yet to move.

_ What? I- _

“Akko!” The orange haired girl shouted, and both her and their third team member ran over to their fallen friend.

_ I just hit her.  _

_ With my own spell. _

Her friends reached her, the orange haired girl picked her up. Diana had a good look at her face. She almost looked dead, a sickly pale seeping into her previous color. What had she-

“Akko, wake up!”

She snapped out of her trance and bolted over to the fallen girl.

“Oh, my God! I- I didn’t mean-”

Her brain was still going at breakneck speed. Diana was refined and had careful control over what she said and how she said it. But she couldn’t stop herself from stuttering. This was… 

“She took the full brunt of that magic strike.” The girl stated so plainly.

Diana felt her rage boil. Really! No kidding! She bit her tongue and focused her attention back on the fallen girl. 

“She doesn’t look good.”

Diana stayed silent, racking her brain though different healing spells she’s learned over the years.

_ I have to fix this. _

Before she could get very far, the fallen girl made a sound. All three heads shot down to look at her. 

“P-Pappiliodya…”

The girl began to lean up. Diana shot her hand out to help, but she froze in place.

_ You don’t deserve to help. You did this. _

“It’s Pappiliodya pupae”

...What. Diana gasped. She watched the girl pick up one of her fallen Shiny Chariot cards… one she had not seen or heard of since she was a small child, still infatuated by the magic show.

_ Get a grip. _

“This has to be it. Pappiliodya hatch once every 120 years.”

Her mind felt so twisted, and she needed to understand. Diana leaned in to read the card. Akko kept reading aloud, starting to look a little more alive.

“It’s a magic butterfly that gives hope to those who see it!”

This means.. Akko was right? They aren’t parasites?

A faint pulsing noise sounded from behind where they sat. All heads turned to look at what it was. The Shiny Rod, or the fake one at best, started to glow.

_ Is it… real? _

Each of the seven orbs glowed, creating a blinding blue light. That was exactly what she had recalled reading it did. It felt just like the magic she felt at orientation, so soft and gentle.

“I have an idea! Akko, try casting this spell!” The orange haired girl handed Akko the Shiny Chariot card, the spell inscribed across the bottom.

“The pappiliodya spell?” Akko suddenly smiled and grunted. She tried standing up, but had apparent trouble gathering enough strength.

_ You did this.  _

Diana contemplated helping her, but her teammates were already holding on to her arms. She followed them and stood up, keeping a respectable distance. The Shiny rod continued to glow, and Akko held it firmly in front of her, just as she did in the courtyard.

A small twinge of guilt shot through her veins.

Not now.

She had to focus on the tree. 

“Well, uh, Papilo Fillia…”

Diana almost cringed at the pronunciation. She looked on the ground, the card holding the spell left behind in the hassle of getting up. Bending down, she picked it up as gently as she could. The least she could do was assist in this. School and magic spells, she could do.

“It’s ‘Papillio Fillio Nymphodya.” She felt all eyes on her.

“That's how you pronounce it?” Akko asked, so intrigued and interested in her, as if she didn;t just fire a spell at her minutes ago.

Diana did not do anything but nod.

“Thanks a lot!” Akko looked at her and smiled in thanks.

Diana just stared. 

“Pappiliodya that fly across five continents, spread your wings, magic butterfly! Give us all our hope!”

All the girls watched at the shiny rods orbs glew brighter with every syllable spoken, the first one being significantly bright. It reacted naturally to everything the girl said. 

“Papillio Fillio Nymohodya!”

The blue magic burst from the rod in a blinding energy. It split off, reaching each and every pupae. Even the ones she tried to destroy, blackened and deflated, all burst with swelling energy. 

Diana was... amazed. Very little was her magic topped. She felt strange, watching the pupae hatch into huge golden butterflies. She felt as though something in her changed, even if the guilt still laid heavily in her chest.

_ Is this what is meant, by looking at them? This feeling of… hope? _

The Butterflies hatched and cast a haze of glowing particles as the magic unused from the Shiny Rod was released into the sky.

Time slowed. Nothing Diana had ever done felt this magical. It wasn’t for a strict purpose. Nor was it for education. It was just… existing. There were no other words to describe what it’s purpose was. It was beautiful. Much in the way Diana felt that the magic she experienced just the previous night should have only been used for the purpose of an experience, she concluded that this magic did as well.

_ Wow. _

The magic seemed to be giving her a soft hug, as she looked up with wide eyes. Living in this moment was all she could think about. But before she even had a chance to deeply enjoy it, the magic seemed to fade out. Just like before. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed for the second time. She tried to stay focused, to feel every last warmth emitted from the magic.

“Come on! Let's follow them!” 

Akko shouted to everyone in the room. Diana’s immersive trance was gone in an instant, Akko’s voice having sliced through her tranquility and bringing her back to the current situation. Diana’s attention was turned onto Akko. 

The weight of what happened hit her so incredibly fast. The guilt was awakened and Diana scanned Akko as her brain tried to catch up with her body. The girl’s energy seemed to come back just from casting that spell, presumably thanks to the Shiny Rod. The Shiny Rod, that was not a fake, even after Diana had-

“Diana… are you coming?”

She turned around to face the one who spoke to her. The three girls were mounted on their brooms, getting ready to fly off. Akko sat behind the orange haired girl. Diana looked up at Akko. Just moments ago, she laid weak and in pain on the ground. Because of Diana. She didn’t move an inch. How could she? She couldn’t just go with them, ignoring her mistakes to go enjoy a rare event, one she had just tried to destroy. 

Diana’s attention sharpened back on Akko’s eyes, who were patiently waiting for a response. Diana could see her red eyes were clenched shut as she lay silent on the ground. Now, her deep red eyes held this sense of excitement and childlike wonder. It looked so… soft. She could feel herself getting lost, but then quickly remembered a question was asked after feeling the three sets of eyes trained on her.

“Oh… um. N-no. That’s quite alright.”

Diana watched the girl deflate slightly. If her eyes weren’t hyperfixed on the girl, it would have been missable. 

“Alright… let’s go guys!”

And they took off, following after the trail of butterflies. Diana could hear Akko whooping down the halls. 

She faced back at the tree. The branches had receded in the ground, hiding all evidence of anything ever happening. The golden glow stayed, accentuated by the rays of the setting sun. How had she let this happen? How did the situation become-

“The memorial tree!” 

She didn’t even hear anyone coming towards her, so lost in thought. Diana quickly turned around, making direct eye contact with both professor Finnelan and the headmistress. She noticed Hannah and Barbara were also among the two professors. They had actually brought them back.

“How splendid!” The headmistress beamed. Diana couldn’t bring herself to fully smile back. It was more of a respectable look. She hoped it did not seem forced. 

“It’s because Diana cast a powerful spell on it.” The headmistress faced Hannah with a surprised look on her face, quickly morphing back into a beaming smile.

“Thank you, Diana!”

Diana froze. This wasn’t her. She couldn’t take credit.

“N-No, I didn’t do this…” She was thinking of a way to attempt to explain when a proud looking Finnelan chimed in.

“Who else could do this other than you?”

“Well… I…” 

  
How does she even start to explain what just happened? The foreign girl, the one with apparently no magical ability, was hit by her spell in order to save the pupae that actually turned out to be ancient butterflies? And they were all saved by the ‘Shiny Rod’, one deemed fake just earlier that same day by Diana in front of the whole school?

She needed to think. 

  
_ I can’t do this right now. _

“Please, excuse me.”

She paced slowly out the hallway, looking down at her feet while still trying to remain graceful. She always kept good posture, at least when surrounded by any other people, but she was struggling just to hold herself up. The only thing keeping her from dropping to the ground at this very moment was the stares on her back from the people remaining in the room.

“What a humble girl. The pride of Luna Nova!”

  
Diana managed to catch that right as she turned the corner. The guilt twisted deeper. 

She finally rounded the corner, becoming free from any onlookers vision. Her efforts to hold her back up were slipping, and she slouched down in defeat. 

Her thoughts became overwhelming. She was wrong. Twice. In one day. Diana knew it was acceptable to be wrong on some occasions, as it gave anyone room to grow and fix their own skills.

But her mistakes today were almost irreversible. She first misjudged Akkos intentions at lunch. Although Diana wasn't wrong about the information said on the subject of Shiny Chariot, she felt awful for embarrassing her in front of everyone. Especially paired with the fact that Akko was in the right, and she was not.

_ She really wasn't lying.  _

Before she could even think about the implications of the new girl owning the ‘deemed missing’ Shiny Rod, she continued thinking about what else had occurred that day.

She misjudged what made the tree sick, thinking the rare species of Pappiliodya was in fact a parasite. How could she do that? Her studies should have prevented that from happening. She could have wiped them all out and left them to die. Worst of all, if Hannah and Barbara had returned with the professors at any moment, it would have been all her fault. She would have no doubt have received a scolding.

Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she preferred a scolding over what had really happened. She was so stubborn, she didn’t even give any other idea one second of thought. 

Akko even tried reasoning with her. It took a magic blast, one that was particularly painful to deal with, for her to stop and listen to the girl.

She felt so sick. She had the ability to make good choices and improve her school. But today? All she did was worsen everything.

_ Argg! How did I manage- _

She noticed shadows moving across the bridge. Her eyes traveled with each passing one.

Huh?

She straightened her back and looked up. Her breath was almost taken away again. 

The sky was filled with thousands of hatched butterflies, still spreading the golden magic dusk. To look at it almost hurt the eyes with the immense amount of sheer glowing magic, but it was just soft enough to look like thousands of tiny fireflies across the horizon. She scanned the horizon, focusing on the only thing that didn’t glow; two brooms flying.

_ Akko. _

She looked so happy. Laughing and waving at both everything, and nothing. 

She deserved that. After everything that happened. 

The pure joy on her face almost made Diana smile. 

Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe
> 
> For some reason I had a hard time writing this one; I think going back to my regularly scheduled life messed with my writing flow. It's amazing how much you can write while procrastinating other work. But, I think I'm going to be posting on Tuesdays and Fridays... I think. I'll adjust it as I need but that is my current goal.
> 
> Hope you guys liked this chapter! I am kinda using this fanfic to improve my writing, because I have not written anything serious in like..... uhhh... lots of years... so hopefully the chapters and my writing will continue to get better!
> 
> Up next: the night after the pappiliodya incident :D


	4. ...what i expected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg lmao remember me...
> 
> hey guys! I am so so sorry I just disappeared into the void for like what.... a month now?
> 
> seriously, I had no intention of not posting for this long oops. I literally just got dumped with a crap ton of life stuff... :,D
> 
> anyways, here's the next chapter! It's not super long but I didn't really need to write a ton to get the important stuff down. Think of it as an... interlude? I guess? With a small interaction.
> 
> As always, let me know of any grammar/formatting stuff.

Diana was no stranger to being alone. Oftentimes, she found herself spending hours upon hours in the library for no purpose other than giving herself time to be away with others. She usually finished homework or prepared for her next week of classes, but some days she just enjoyed sitting alone.

It wasn’t often that she was able to nowadays, however, as she was constantly loaded with duties given by the professors on top of her own private work. It was nothing she couldn’t handle. She spent her days focusing on her own work and then helping with the professors when they needed it. Her favorite part of the days became her nightly patrols, where she had a large amount of time alone for peace and quiet.

By the time the patrols rolled around, she was always caught up in school work and took the patrols as a relaxing break before going to bed. Besides being alone, she also did it to give her own time back to the school. After all, she appreciated the school just as much as they appreciated her.

The feeling of being alone was something she often enjoyed.

But right now, the feeling of being alone felt much more like a weight pressing on her chest.

She had already returned to her dorm for the night as dinner had passed and tonight was a rare night that she was free from any patrol work. Curfew was only a few hours from now, and Diana was surprised to hear not one student moving around outside her door. 

Normally, she listened to the footsteps of people walking through the halls, passing her room or entering one of the other dorms nearby. The students were usually heard quietly chattering as the day came to a close. 

Tonight, however, there were no sounds Diana could hear other than her own breathing. It was… unsettling, to say the least. Although she liked being alone in the quiet, she couldn’t help but admit she felt really uncomfortable in this silence. 

Where is everyone?

Even her own roommates had yet to return to get ready for bed. They were always at least back in the dorm room after dinner to ensure they had time to study with Diana there as help, or to say goodnight if Diana had a patrol. 

She knew her friends would not break curfew, especially seeing as Diana was often the one to give people detention if she found anyone out of their room. Diana racked her brain trying to process why. The only thing that was abnormal was…

_Oh._

Diana had already witnessed the flying pappilodya as she walked back to her dorm. Really, she was able to experience it first hand while they hatched. She could only assume that the students were all getting to view it themselves. That was the only thing that she could guess that could keep their attention away from getting ready for bed.

The thought of the pappilodya made her stomach churn in knots. She had already spent her entire walk to her dorm trying to avoid thinking about… her.

What was wrong with her? She never had this much trouble ignoring issues outside of school work. She never had this deep rooted feeling of regret either. Maybe it was regret from not saying anything after.  
  
Diana knew she made a mistake and hurt Akko, but the girl seemed fine afterward. Diana couldn’t regret what had happened in the past. There was no way for her to change what Akko had decided to do. 

She felt worse about not apologizing after. She could have at least made an effort to say anything to the girl before they took off on the broom. She could have at least made an effort to correct her professors when she received the praise over the other girl. 

But she didn’t.

The weight on her chest pushed harder.

She heard a shuffling outside of her door, followed by a large amount of muffled talking. The students must have returned for the night.

She looked at her window. The sun had almost set completely while she was stuck in her own thoughts. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to compose herself as much as she could.

The doorknob twisted and the talking increased in volume as the door no longer stopped the sounds from entering. Hannah and Barbara stepped into the room.

“- I can’t believe Avery saw that-”

“Oh hey Diana!”

Diana stood from her chair and dusted her clothes off as the girls stepped further into the room. The door shut and Hannah walked over to her bed. Barbara stayed looking at Diana.

“Hello girls-”

“Diana, where have you been?”

Diana was interrupted by Barbara. Hannah put her things on her bed and turned around.

“Yeah, you disappeared after we brought the professors to the memorial tree!”

Diana felt a pang in her stomach.

“Oh, yes, I just had some work I needed to catch up on, and I left my book in here.”

A lie.

“Okay. You missed seeing these huge butterflies fly across the sky!”

“They were all flying in huge swarms, and everyone was watching them.”

Diana tried to keep a straight face.

“Oh really. That sounds interesting.”

“It was! Some students even mounted brooms to fly up with them.”

“Yeah, we even saw the new girl flying on her friend’s broom! She couldn’t even fly on her own!”

The two girls laughed. Diana felt her neck stiffen. She couldn’t help but blurt out-

“Did she look okay?”

The girls laughter trickled away and they looked up first at each other, then at Diana. Their eyebrows were raised.

“I mean, she seemed fine. It looked like her teammates were helping her walk back after they landed.”

Diana’s neutral face slipped off, eyebrows furrowing up.

“She’s probably tired from embarrassing herself all day!” 

Laughter resumed. The girls returned to their side of the room, starting to get ready for bed.

Diana stood there, unmoving. What did that mean? Akko was tired, presumably from the events that happened earlier. Her thoughts circled back to the regret she had. Diana had said nothing to her, done nothing to help her.

She could not go to bed. Not like this. Glancing at the clock, she noted the time. 30 minutes until curfew. 

This was risky, and so unlike her. But she saw no other way. She couldn’t just push this out of her mind. She couldn’t during the night of orientation and she couldn’t all day long today.  
  
Still yet to change out of her uniform, she grabbed a shawl and walked to her desk. She closed the books she had left open since her weak attempt to study earlier after arriving back in the dorm. Taking one last look at the clock, 9:32 p.m.. 

28 minutes. 

She walked out of her side of the room and looked up at her roommates.

“I forgot I have to pick something up. I should only be a few minutes.” 

Hannah replied without looking up. 

“Sure, Diana. It’s almost curfew though…”  
  


“I’ll be fast.”

The door slammed behind her. 

  
  
  
  


She walked through the halls, heading towards the red dorm. It wasn’t a far walk, luckily, but Diana seemed to take a slow walking pace.

_What am I even doing?_

She barely thought about what she was doing until she was out in the dark, silent hallway. It was dangerously close to curfew, and although Diana knew she would likely be able to get out of any serious punishment, she decided to refrain from even risking that. She didn’t know the time anymore, but it felt like she had been walking this short path for an hour.

_What do I even say to her?_

This impulsivity was nothing like how she normally acted. It seemed she had increased irrational behavior toward anything involving the new girl. Based on what she had seen during the first school day, the girl lacked a large amount of rationality. It had only been two days, but Diana already felt exhausted from this rollercoaster of emotions.

_How do people even deal with friends like this?_

Not that Akko was a friend. Not in the slightest. But, she was a classmate, and Diana would treat her with respect. Although, now that she thought about it, she was awfully impatient at lunch earlier... 

She shook her head. After she apologized she could forget all of what had happened these past two days, and refocused on her school duties. 

The entire time, Diana had kept her head tilted down, counting each step she took on the floor until she realized she had arrived.

The hallway where the red team was. Diana looked up. Her stomach churned once again. 

_What if she doesn’t even want to see me? At this point it would be better than her treating me like a friend…_

Diana didn’t know how much time she had left before curfew. Based on her assumption, probably not a lot. She approached the door, smoothed out her hair and clothes, collecting herself as quickly as she could. 

She raised her hand up to the large door. After a moment of hesitation, she knocked.

At first there was no answer. Diana almost decided that they weren’t in the room yet. Then, she heard a jumble of noises, almost as if something had fallen over multiple times and crashed against the floor.

Before she had time to process whatever she had heard, the door swung open.

Akko stood slightly bent over, breathing heavy, hair tangled up and her clothes folded in the strangest ways. Diana could only assume that she was the thing that fell. She internally groaned.

She watched Akko’s eyes widen.

“Oh… Diana?”

Diana just stared back after realizing she had been addressed. Everything had happened so fast. What was she even doing here? Why was she hesitating now? She was a Cavendish and she rarely hesitated at anything. Except dealing with the new girl, apparently. 

Akko straightened up and put her arms against the door.

“Uhm… is there… something you need?”

Diana realized she must have been staring for some time. Akko seemed to be really confused with the silence. She quickly cleared her throat to prepare herself for talking.

“Oh, erm... yes. I actually came to talk to you.”

Diana’s eyes looked past Akko into the dorm, before Akko replied. She didn’t hear any noise coming from anyone else that could have been in the room. Akko must have understood what she was looking for.

“Oh, Lotte and Susy are getting ready for bed in the bathrooms.”  
  
Diana nodded. She assumed those were her teammates. Akko looked like she was thinking about what to say.

“Would you… like to come in?”

Akko opened the door wider and gestured inside. Diana quickly shook her head and lifted her hands. She did not need to enter the room. She felt more uncomfortable at the thought.

“That is alright. I shouldn’t be long.”

Akko made a humming noise of understanding, and proceeded to bend the door slightly towards her and lean against it, taking back to her original position.

“Okay, then… what did you want to talk about?” 

She looked straight into Diana’s eyes. All of a sudden, Diana felt like her soul was open for the girl to see right through. This was a new feeling...

_Why do I feel so... nervous?_

Diana rarely cared about what people thought of her, and although most people looked up to her, she had a fair amount of people who didn’t like her. So why did this feel so different? Diana took a brief moment to compose herself before speaking.

“I… wanted to make sure you were okay. After earlier-”

  
Akko interrupted, surprising her slightly.

“Ah, yeah I’m fine! Maybe sore in a few places but I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I think after I used the rod, I sorta healed myself. Maybe? Or maybe it just refueled my energy. I’m not really sure, I’ve only used it a few times because I only found it really recently and I’m not sure of everything it can do aaand-”

Akko rubbed the back of her head.

“-Oops, I’m rambling. But I’m good!”

Diana felt her regret release its grip ever so slightly. It seemed like the girl really was fine. Diana crossed her arms. She was starting to feel more awkward as Akko just waited for a response.

“Oh… that is fortunate.”

They both broke eye contact and looked at their feet. Diana felt as though she was going to explode.

“Well, if that’s all you're here for, then you should probably get back to your dorm. I think curfew is about to start and-”

“Atsuko, I’m sorry.”

Akko took a step back in surprise, eyes widening.

“Huh-”

“I should have listened to what you had to say. I acted impulsively, and for that I am sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry ab-”

Diana was getting irritated. She just wanted to get everything out she wanted to say, so she could go home and forget all of this. 

“It shouldn’t be ignored. I am regretful that I didn’t give you a chance to talk. And what happened at lunch, I-”

“Diana really! It’s okay. If I were you, I probably would have reacted the same way.”

Diana looked up at Akko and made eye contact. 

  
“Wha-”

“I mean, you have probably been going to school here for a while… right? And based on what you did in class, it seems like you’re super smart! I’m sure you didn’t have a reason to believe me, since i’ve been here for what... about two days? And I feel totally fine now!”

Diana looked down. She was expecting Akko to be upset, but to be understanding? She barely knew this girl, and she had never felt so seen by someone. Diana almost felt bad about using the girl’s kindness in order to then forget her and what had happened.

“Thank you, Akko. And I am sorry. I do hope you won’t be too upset.”

“Pssst-” Akko waved her hands. “I’m not! And I accept your apology. No hard feelings!”

“Alright then.”

The girls stopped talking for a minute. Diana didn’t know what to say, but she felt their talk coming to a close.

“Well-”

“I-”

They spoke at the same time. Diana shut her mouth quickly. Akko started laughing quietly. Diana had a harder time restraining her face from smiling. That was new.

Akko tried to talk in between laughs, but it ended up leaving the girl out of breath. Diana gave her a moment to compose herself, and when she looked up, Diana continued.

“Well, I should be returning to my dorm.”

Akko gave her a bright smile, similar to the one earlier.

“Goodnight, Diana.”

Diana nodded, took a few steps back, and then spun around and headed back to her dorm.

She could hear the door shut behind her as she turned the corner. Immediately, she noticed the weight. It was no longer present on her chest. It was a huge relief to Diana. She assumed it was past curfew and she needed to get to sleep fast. Today was quite exhausting and she knew she would be tired in class tomorrow still. 

The walk back was much shorter this time around. Diana gave one last thought to the girl as she approached her own dorm room. Akko was still childish, seemingly lacking in magic excluding the shiny rod, stubborn and impulsive. Diana hoped that they could go their separate ways and she could continue her school life as normal.

But still, for all those things Akko was, she wasn’t what Diana expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehanfda
> 
> I hope you guys liked this one. I kinda do... I guess. short and sweet :D
> 
> Also, your comments have been so nice and inspiring! Thanks guuuys it means a lot :]
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Up next: The volleyball game (from the manga; i'm guessing some of the timeline here, but this chapter occurred before the manga's shooting star arc, so i'm assuming it took place before the broom race. i'm trying to put a good timeline together based on canon, but this is also a fanfic so it doesn't matter too much lmao)


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